精东传媒app

Teachers of second languages need to have a theoretical framework which would enable them to evaluate their activities in the classroom more effectively. While in practice it is possible to find that an activity that is theoretically ineffective can be effective through teacher or other factors operating in the classroom, nevertheless to be able to teach creatively in the classroom, teachers need to know why something they do in the classroom works. No teacher operating in the classroom does so without some sort of theory of teaching, however rudimentary it might be. This course attempts to provide teachers with a coherent theory of second language learning.

The course emphasises recent research in second language acquisition and the theoretical issues underlying such research in terms of (a) various approaches to assessing and describing learner language; (b) the notion of "interlanguage"; (c) the question of transfer from first language in second language learning; (d) cognitive processes and strategies involved in second language learning and communication; (e) individual learner characteristics, learning and environments; (f) social and cultural factors affecting L1 and L2 use; (g) consideration of the implications of second language learning research and theory for language teaching.

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. The assessment item(s) that may be used to assess student achievement of an objective are shown in parenthesis. On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

1. gain an advanced and integrated understanding of the various factors involved in the process of acquiring a second language;
2. carry out research related to the process of acquiring a second language;
3. be able to analyse critically, reflect on and synthesise the information, problems, concepts and theories which are relevant to the process of acquiring a second language;
4. interpret and transmit to specialist and non-specialist audiences the information, problems, concepts and theories which are relevant to the process of acquiring a second language;
5. demonstrate autonomy, expert judgement, adaptability and responsibility in each of the tasks identified in objectives 1 to 4;
6. hypothesise the different types of individual differences and their putative effect upon the rate of SL learning.